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Reference:3009: Difference between revisions

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<small>Oyster → '''3009'''</small>
<small>Oyster -> '''3009'''</small>


<div class="rp-lead">
<div class="rp-lead">
[[File:Ref 3009 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex Oyster Chronometre “Scientific” 3009 in 9K gold, Antiquorum Hong Kong 2019|Rolex Oyster Chronometre “Scientific” 3009 in 9K gold, Antiquorum Hong Kong 2019]]
[[File:Ref 3009 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex Oyster Chronometre “Scientific” 3009 in 18K pink gold, on a black leather strap, Christie's Watches Online: Swiss Icons 2018|Rolex Oyster Chronometre “Scientific” 3009 in 18K pink gold, on a black leather strap, Christie's Watches Online: Swiss Icons 2018]]
</div>
</div>


The best-known ref. 3009 has a white vitreous-enamel dial divided into hour, minute and
The most distinctive 3009 dial is white vitreous enamel, with separate hour and minute tracks, an outer fifths-of-a-second scale and a red centre-seconds hand. Auction records also show champagne, silvered, 24-hour, California and silvered sector dials; one Observatory example has subsidiary seconds.
fifths-of-a-second tracks, with a red centre seconds hand. The same case reference also appears
with champagne, silvered, 24-hour and California layouts, including one subsidiary-seconds watch.
 
Most auction descriptions identify manual movements. Sotheby's has used a “Bubbleback Flatback”
heading, and Antiquorum has used Bubbleback and Oyster Perpetual headings while describing manual
winding in the lot text. Two Lacy Scott & Knight entries instead say automatic, using identical
catalogue copy; no published caliber identification or clear movement assessment resolves that
discrepancy. Hodinkee describes the ref. 3009 it illustrates as a manual-wind flatback.


Most auction descriptions identify manual movements. Sotheby’s June 2026 lot is titled “Bubbleback Flatback”; Antiquorum has also used Bubbleback and Oyster Perpetual headings while describing manual winding in the lot text. Two Lacy Scott & Knight entries repeat the same “automatic” description. Their catalogues do not identify the movement caliber, and the repeated wording remains unresolved. Hodinkee describes its pictured 3009 as a manual-wind flatback.


==Core facts==
==Core facts==
Line 77: Line 70:
==Where it sits in the line==
==Where it sits in the line==


Early Oyster case references could carry several marketed names. Antiquorum notes that ref. 3116
Antiquorum records several names on ref. 3116, including Royal, Viceroy and Imperial, as well as chronometer-labelled Imperial and Observatory variants.
appeared as Royal, Viceroy and Imperial, plus chronometer-labelled Imperial and Observatory variants.


Ref. 3009 follows the same pattern. Auction catalogues use Chronometre Scientific, Oyster Royal,
Ref. 3009 follows the same pattern. Auction catalogues use Chronometre Scientific, Oyster Royal,
Line 84: Line 76:
dial, but it does not identify a single case material, movement grade or seconds layout.
dial, but it does not identify a single case material, movement grade or seconds layout.


David Boettcher describes Prima, Extra Prima and Ultra Prima as movement grades rather than
David Boettcher describes Prima, Extra Prima and Ultra Prima as movement grades separate from
calibers. The documented 3009 jewel counts and adjustment descriptions do not map cleanly onto
calibers. The documented 3009 jewel counts and adjustment descriptions do not map cleanly onto
that broader ladder, so the dial wording should not be used to infer a grade.
that broader ladder, so the dial wording should not be used to infer a grade.
Line 92: Line 84:
==Production outline==
==Production outline==


Dating this reference honestly means admitting how little is fixed. Auction houses have assigned examples to circa 1930, circa 1935, circa 1937 and circa 1944, and those estimates do not reconcile against case numbers. The one hard anchor in the whole documented record is the Glasgow import mark for 1937 on case 37845, sold through Bonhams. British assay and import marks carry a compulsory date letter, which makes them the reliable dating instrument for pre-1948 Rolex in a way that catalogue estimates are not.
Auction catalogues date individual 3009s from circa 1930 to circa 1944, but those estimates do not form a consistent case-number sequence. Bonhams records a Glasgow import mark for 1937 on case 37845. That dates its assay or import, not the watch’s manufacture. A separate 1947 presentation inscription documents the date of the presentation; Antiquorum’s circa-1959 estimate for that watch remains unresolved.


The observed case numbers include 12818, 37791, 37840, 37845, 39218, 39250, 39251, 46704,
The observed case numbers include 12818, 37791, 37840, 37845, 39218, 39250, 39251, 46704,
Line 105: Line 97:
==Movement notes==
==Movement notes==


[[File:Ref 3009 movement.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Movement of a Rolex 3009 with bridges engraved Timed 6 Positions, 18 Rubies and Patented Superbalance|The 10½-ligne calibre in a 14K case, bridges engraved TIMED 6 POSITIONS and 18 RUBIES over the Patented Superbalance.]]
The 3009 catalogues describe 10½-ligne movements but show no Cal. 700 marking. Boettcher identifies
the 10½-ligne Aegler Hunter family as Rolex Cal. 700. For ref. 6210, Christie’s calls the Kew A
movement Cal. 10.5; Uhrenkosmos calls it Cal. 700. Vetroplastica describes a Cal. 700 base with
Cal. 720 parts, while Bonhams says the base was reworked into what Rolex called Cal. 720. These
labels refer to the hand-wound Kew A movement; the generic Cal. 720 entry on the Movements page
describes the automatic branch. Cal. 700 remains plausible for the 3009 family, but no cited 3009
catalogue identifies its movement by that caliber number.


The 3009 catalogues say 10½ lignes but do not show a Cal. 700 marking. Boettcher identifies the
That base was not exclusive to Rolex. Aegler supplied it to Gruen as the calibres 825, 826 and 827, and Boettcher documents a Gruen 826 with indirect centre seconds. Catalogues record both 17- and 18-jewel movements, with varying adjustment language. No source
10½-ligne Aegler Hunter family as Rolex Cal. 700, and Bonhams describes ref. 6210 as using a
explains the split, and the records do not map cleanly onto Boettcher's general grade hierarchy.
10½-ligne Cal. 700 base modified into Cal. 720. Those sources make Cal. 700 plausible for ref.
Bridge wording such as “Timed 6 Positions” documents one movement’s marking; it does not date the watch.
3009, but neither is a direct caliber identification of a 3009 movement.


That base was not exclusive to Rolex. Aegler supplied it to Gruen as the calibres 825, 826 and 827, and Boettcher documents a Gruen 826 with indirect centre seconds. The same architecture and the same centre-seconds option sold under a different name on another continent.
[[File:Ref 3009 movement.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Movement of a Rolex 3009 with bridges engraved Timed 6 Positions, 18 Rubies and Patented Superbalance|The 10½-ligne calibre in a 14K case, bridges engraved TIMED 6 POSITIONS and 18 RUBIES over the Patented Superbalance.]]


Catalogues record both 17- and 18-jewel movements, with varying adjustment language. No source
explains the split, and the records do not map cleanly onto Boettcher's general grade hierarchy.
Bridge wording such as “Timed 6 Positions” documents one movement's finish, not a production date.


What those gradings bought was labour. Adjusting for poise and isochronism meant measuring a rate against a regulator over hours, and Boettcher records that in the 1920s and 1930s a minimum of four hours was needed to reveal a small difference, with observatory-standard adjustment running to weeks. The premium on a chronometer-grade movement of this era was mostly the cost of someone's time.


===Indirect centre seconds===
===Indirect centre seconds===
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Boettcher describes this Aegler family's centre-seconds option as indirect: an extra wheel on an
Boettcher describes this Aegler family's centre-seconds option as indirect: an extra wheel on an
extended third-wheel arbor drives the centre pinion. This mechanism applies to the centre-seconds
extended third-wheel arbor drives the centre pinion. This mechanism applies to the centre-seconds
3009 configurations, not the subsidiary-seconds Observatory watch.
3009 configurations; the subsidiary-seconds Observatory watch uses a different arrangement.
 
Because the seconds pinion sits outside the power flow, it flutters. Backlash lets it kick back and forth with every impulse from the third wheel. The fix is a friction spring that damps the movement, and the fix has a cost. Jack Forster, writing in Hodinkee, puts it most sharply: the tension spring "adds a frictional load to the gear train and if it's not adjusted exactly correctly, you get reduced balance amplitude and therefore, a loss in precision, which is ironic since a center seconds is supposed to be an aid to reading off the seconds more precisely in the first place."


The friction spring can reduce balance amplitude if adjusted poorly.
The indirect seconds pinion can flutter because it sits outside the main gear train. A friction spring damps that motion; Jack Forster notes that poor adjustment can add load and reduce balance amplitude.


==Dial map==
==Dial map==


<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 3009 enamel dial.webp|alt=Close view of the white vitreous enamel Scientific dial on a Rolex 3009 showing three concentric tracks and a red centre seconds hand|The Scientific dial at close range: hours on the inner ring, minutes outside them, an outer scale to fifths of a second, and the red centre seconds hand. Hairlines run through the enamel and the word SCIENTIFIC has begun to lose paint.
File:Ref 3009 enamel dial.webp|alt=Close view of the white vitreous enamel Scientific dial on a Rolex 3009 showing three concentric tracks and a red centre seconds hand|The Scientific dial at close range, from the 9K gold example sold at Antiquorum Hong Kong, 2019, case 39218: hours on the inner ring, minutes outside them, an outer scale to fifths of a second, and the red centre seconds hand. Hairlines run through the enamel and the word SCIENTIFIC has begun to lose paint.
File:Ref 3009 centre seconds dial.webp|alt=Rolex Oyster Chronometre 3009 in 18K yellow gold with a silvered dial, applied gold Arabic numerals and centre seconds|The plain silvered configuration in 18K yellow gold, applied gold Arabic numerals and a blued centre seconds hand, catalogued simply as an Oyster Chronomètre.
File:Ref 3009 centre seconds dial.webp|alt=Rolex Oyster Chronometre 3009 in 18K yellow gold with a silvered dial, applied gold Arabic numerals and centre seconds|The plain silvered configuration in 18K yellow gold, applied gold Arabic numerals and a blued centre seconds hand, catalogued simply as an Oyster Chronomètre.
File:Ref 3009 24-hour dial.webp|alt=Rolex 3009 in 14K yellow gold with a 24-hour dial carrying inner red numerals 13 to 24|A 24-hour dial on the same case reference: luminous Arabic hours with the 13 to 24 numerals printed in red inside them, case 46704.
File:Ref 3009 24-hour dial.webp|alt=Rolex 3009 in 14K yellow gold with a 24-hour dial carrying inner red numerals 13 to 24|A 24-hour dial on the same case reference: luminous Arabic hours with the 13 to 24 numerals printed in red inside them, case 46704.
Line 140: Line 131:
</gallery>
</gallery>


Six distinct dial configurations appear on the 3009 in the documented record.
Seven dial configurations appear in the auction and photographed record reviewed here.
 
The white enamel Scientific dial is the most recognizable configuration. Antiquorum’s 2019 Hong Kong catalogue describes inner Arabic numerals, separate hour and minute tracks, and an outer scale marked in fifths of a second. Several catalogues call the dial two-piece. The available descriptions do not establish how its inner disc is mounted.


The white enamel Scientific dial is the reference's signature and the reason it is collected. Antiquorum's Hong Kong catalogue gives the clearest description: "white enamel dial with inner Arabic numerals, tracks for hours and separate minutes, outer track calibrated for 5ths of a second, blued steel hour and minute hands, red central seconds hand." Auction houses consistently describe the dial as two-piece. A dealer account claiming the inner disc is fixed to the movement is unsupported elsewhere and contradicted by other descriptions, so the two-piece construction is documented while its mounting is not.
Other catalogued examples include champagne Oyster Royal/Observatory, restored two-tone silvered centre-seconds, 24-hour, copper-coloured California, silvered baton and silvered sector dials. The California layout is supported by one lot; the records do not establish a factory dial list.


The remaining five are conventional by comparison: a champagne dial catalogued as Oyster Royal and Observatory, a restored two-tone silvered centre-seconds dial, a 24-hour dial with the 13 to 24 numerals printed in red inside the luminous Arabic hours, a copper-coloured California dial with painted luminous Arabic and Roman numerals and baton indexes, and a silvered baton dial in pink gold. The California example is the outlier of the group, and a single lot does not establish it as a production configuration.


===How the enamel dial is made===
===How the enamel dial is made===


[[File:Ref 3009 enamel lettering.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Macro of a Rolex 3009 enamel dial showing worn CHRONOMETRE and SCIENTIFIC lettering and hairline cracks|Paint loss in the model wording and hairline cracks through the enamel on the Christie's example]]
The dials are vitreous enamel, easily mistaken for porcelain at a glance. Boettcher describes powdered glass fired onto
 
The dials are vitreous enamel rather than porcelain. Boettcher describes powdered glass fired onto
a copper base, with numerals and tracks added in vitreous painting enamel. The fired substrate
a copper base, with numerals and tracks added in vitreous painting enamel. The fired substrate
resists fading, while impacts, flexing and later painted text can still leave visible damage.
resists fading, while impacts, flexing and later painted text can still leave visible damage.
Line 159: Line 149:


Boettcher separates fired numerals and tracks from names painted onto the finished enamel surface.
Boettcher separates fired numerals and tracks from names painted onto the finished enamel surface.
He treats unnaturally fresh painted wording as a warning, not proof of later work. Christie's
He treats unnaturally fresh painted wording as a flag for closer inspection; it doesn't by itself confirm the work happened later. Christie's
records paint loss on “chronometre” and “scientific,” and Lacy Scott & Knight records red loss
records paint loss on “chronometre” and “scientific,” and Lacy Scott & Knight records red loss
from a seconds hand.
from a seconds hand.
[[File:Ref 3009 enamel lettering.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Macro of a Rolex 3009 enamel dial showing worn CHRONOMETRE and SCIENTIFIC lettering and hairline cracks|Paint loss in the model wording and hairline cracks through the enamel on the Christie's example]]


==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==
==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==
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Catalogued diameters range from 30 to 33mm and most are 31mm. The records do not establish whether
Catalogued diameters range from 30 to 33mm and most are 31mm. The records do not establish whether
the spread comes from measurement method or a larger case variant.
the spread comes from measurement method or a larger case variant.


==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==
==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==


No original-delivery bracelet is established. The Antiquorum Hong Kong example had a GEMEX
No original-delivery bracelet is established. The Antiquorum Hong Kong example had a GEMEX
integrated bracelet; another wore a 9ct Rolex expandable bracelet stamped 4.67, which dates the
integrated bracelet; another wore a 9ct Rolex expandable bracelet stamped 4.67, a clasp code that dates only the
bracelet rather than the watch head. Other examples appear on leather straps.
bracelet. Other examples appear on leather straps.


One example retains something better than a bracelet. The 18ct gold indirect-centre-seconds watch sold at Dreweatts, case 37791, came with its original Manchester retailer's presentation box.
Dreweatts records the 18ct gold indirect-centre-seconds watch, case 37791, with a Manchester retailer’s presentation box.


==Retailer and provenance branches==
==Retailer and provenance branches==
Line 192: Line 185:
it does not establish military issue.
it does not establish military issue.


Retailer signatures appear on the wider Scientific family more than on the 3009 itself. The Asprey-retailed Imperial Chronometre Scientific is a reference 3116, not a 3009. Among documented 3009s the Manchester box is the only retailer artefact to have surfaced, alongside an unnamed English retailer's dial signature on the sibling 2942.
The Dreweatts 3009 came with a Manchester retailer’s presentation box. The Asprey-retailed Imperial Chronometre Scientific is reference 3116, a separate case reference from the 3009.


==Auction record==
==Auction record==


Fourteen sourced auction appearances across seven houses.
Fifteen sourced auction appearances across seven houses.


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
Line 209: Line 202:
| 27 Apr 2004
| 27 Apr 2004
| pink gold, centre seconds
| pink gold, centre seconds
| —
| not recorded
| not sold
| not sold
|-
|-
Line 215: Line 208:
| 7 Dec 2006
| 7 Dec 2006
| pink gold, brown dial, 17j; Woods King presentation
| pink gold, brown dial, 17j; Woods King presentation
| —
| not recorded
| USD 3,776
| USD 3,776
|-
|-
Line 221: Line 214:
| 6 Dec 2007
| 6 Dec 2007
| 9ct, restored two-tone silvered, 18j, 30mm
| 9ct, restored two-tone silvered, 18j, 30mm
| —
| not recorded
| USD 1,080
| USD 1,080
|-
|-
Line 289: Line 282:
| 39250
| 39250
| GBP 4,000
| GBP 4,000
|}
|-
| Sotheby’s, Fine Watches
| 17 Jun 2026
| 18K pink gold, silvered sector, 18 jewels, titled “Bubbleback Flatback”
| 278072
| result not published


Lacy Scott & Knight sold the two consecutive-numbered 9ct enamel examples for GBP 5,200 and
Lacy Scott & Knight sold the consecutive-numbered 9ct enamel examples, cases 39251 and 39250, for GBP 5,200 and GBP 4,000. The auction sample mixes metals and dial condition, so it does not isolate an enamel-dial premium.
GBP 4,000. The broader record mixes case metals, dial conditions and currencies, so it does not
isolate an enamel-dial premium reliably.


Two Lacy Scott & Knight entries describe an “automatic 18-jewel movement,” using the same
Two Lacy Scott & Knight entries describe an “automatic 18-jewel movement,” using the same
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cannot be dismissed on mechanical grounds alone. The wider auction record describes manual
cannot be dismissed on mechanical grounds alone. The wider auction record describes manual
movements, including Antiquorum's lots titled Bubbleback and Oyster Perpetual. Without a clear
movements, including Antiquorum's lots titled Bubbleback and Oyster Perpetual. Without a clear
movement identification for the LSK watches, the repeated automatic wording remains a catalogue
movement identification for the LSK watches, the repeated automatic wording remains an open catalogue
discrepancy rather than a confirmed variant or a disproved claim.
discrepancy — neither a confirmed variant nor a disproved claim.


== Related references ==
== Related references ==
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* [[Reference:2784|Oyster Junior Sport 2784]] — manual-wind Oyster of the same era
* [[Reference:2784|Oyster Junior Sport 2784]] — manual-wind Oyster of the same era
* [[Reference:3003|Oyster Precision 3003]]
* [[Reference:3003|Oyster Precision 3003]]
* [[Reference:6541|Milgauss 6541]] — the later anti-magnetic answer to the same professional market
 


See also the [[Reference:bubbleback|early Oyster and Bubbleback index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].
See also the [[Reference:bubbleback|early Oyster and Bubbleback index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 3009 hero.webp|Rolex Oyster Chronometre Scientific 3009 in 18K pink gold
File:Ref 3009 enamel dial.webp|White enamel Scientific dial, case 39218
File:Ref 3009 centre seconds dial.webp|Silvered centre-seconds dial
File:Ref 3009 24-hour dial.webp|24-hour dial, case 46704
File:Ref 3009 Observatory dial.webp|Oyster Royal Observatory dial, case 37840
File:Ref 3009 California dial.webp|California dial, case 12818
File:Ref 3009 enamel lettering.webp|Paint loss and hairline cracks in enamel dial
File:Ref 3009 movement.webp|Movement bridge markings
File:Ref 3009 caseback marks.webp|14K caseback and sponsor mark
File:Ref 3009 caseback 18k.webp|18K caseback fineness mark
File:Ref 3009 pink gold.webp|18K pink-gold case
File:Ref 3009 Glasgow 1937.webp|Case 37845 with Glasgow 1937 import mark
</gallery>


== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2026/fine-watches/reference-3009-bubbleback-flatback-a-pink-gold Sotheby’s, Fine Watches 2026, Lot 404 — Rolex ref. 3009 “Bubbleback Flatback”, 18K pink gold, silvered sector dial, case 278072, circa 1944]


* [https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/christies-watches-online-swiss-icons/rolex-18k-oyster-chronometer-scientific-enamel-dial-ref-3009-174/56374 Christie's, "Christie's Watches Online: Swiss Icons, Lot 174 — Rolex 18K Oyster Chronometer Scientific with enamel dial, ref. 3009", Christie's, 2018-05-08]
* [https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/christies-watches-online-swiss-icons/rolex-18k-oyster-chronometer-scientific-enamel-dial-ref-3009-174/56374 Christie's, "Christie's Watches Online: Swiss Icons, Lot 174 — Rolex 18K Oyster Chronometer Scientific with enamel dial, ref. 3009", Christie's, 2018-05-08]
Line 322: Line 335:
* [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/oyster/ref-rolex-3009/lpi Collector Square, "Rolex Oyster reference 3009 auction index", Collector Square]
* [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/oyster/ref-rolex-3009/lpi Collector Square, "Rolex Oyster reference 3009 auction index", Collector Square]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-108-7 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Geneva, The Mondani Collection, Lot 7 — Rolex ref. 3116 'Royal', case 148000, made 1940", Antiquorum, 2006-05-14]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-108-7 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Geneva, The Mondani Collection, Lot 7 — Rolex ref. 3116 'Royal', case 148000, made 1940", Antiquorum, 2006-05-14]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/29155/lot/19/rolex-an-extremely-rare-18k-gold-kew-a-manual-wind-wristwatch-rolex-oyster-observatory-chronometer-ref-6210-circa-1955/ Bonhams, "Bonhams sale 29155, Lot 19 — Rolex 18K gold Kew A manual wind wristwatch, Oyster Observatory Chronometer, ref. 6210, circa 1955", Bonhams, 2021-01-01]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/29155/lot/19/rolex-an-extremely-rare-18k-gold-kew-a-manual-wind-wristwatch-rolex-oyster-observatory-chronometer-ref-6210-circa-1955/ Bonhams, "Bonhams sale 29155, Lot 19 — Rolex 18K gold Kew A manual wind wristwatch, Oyster Observatory Chronometer, ref. 6210, circa 1955", Bonhams, 2024-12-12]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5257637 "Rolex ref. 6210 Oyster Observatory Chronometer "Kew A Certificate", 18K gold — Christie's Geneva, 16 Nov 2009, lot 188", Christie's, 2009-11-16]
* [https://www.vetroplastica.it/rolex-kew-a-18.html Vetroplastica, "Vetroplastica — Rolex Kew A reference and movement overview", Vetroplastica]
* [https://www.uhrenkosmos.com/rolex-meilensteine-1952-bis-1955-wegweisend/ Uhrenkosmos editorial, "Rolex milestones 1952–1955 — Kew A Observatory Chronometer", Uhrenkosmos, 2026-01-02]
* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/aegler.php David Boettcher, "Aegler, Fabrique Rebberg — vintagewatchstraps.com", vintagewatchstraps.com, 2026-03-31]
* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/aegler.php David Boettcher, "Aegler, Fabrique Rebberg — vintagewatchstraps.com", vintagewatchstraps.com, 2026-03-31]
* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/blogprima.php David Boettcher, "Prima, Extra Prima and Ultra Prima", vintagewatchstraps.com]
* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/blogprima.php David Boettcher, "Prima, Extra Prima and Ultra Prima", vintagewatchstraps.com]

Latest revision as of 05:57, 11 October 2026


Oyster -> 3009

Rolex Oyster Chronometre “Scientific” 3009 in 18K pink gold, on a black leather strap, Christie's Watches Online: Swiss Icons 2018
Rolex Oyster Chronometre “Scientific” 3009 in 18K pink gold, on a black leather strap, Christie's Watches Online: Swiss Icons 2018

The most distinctive 3009 dial is white vitreous enamel, with separate hour and minute tracks, an outer fifths-of-a-second scale and a red centre-seconds hand. Auction records also show champagne, silvered, 24-hour, California and silvered sector dials; one Observatory example has subsidiary seconds.

Most auction descriptions identify manual movements. Sotheby’s June 2026 lot is titled “Bubbleback Flatback”; Antiquorum has also used Bubbleback and Oyster Perpetual headings while describing manual winding in the lot text. Two Lacy Scott & Knight entries repeat the same “automatic” description. Their catalogues do not identify the movement caliber, and the repeated wording remains unresolved. Hodinkee describes its pictured 3009 as a manual-wind flatback.

Core facts

detail value
reference 3009
model designations Oyster Chronometre "Scientific"; also catalogued as Oyster Royal, Observatory, and Oyster Chronometer
production no documented range; Glasgow import mark for 1937 and a presentation inscription dated 1947 are the firm dated observations
case diameter 30–33mm in catalogues, most often 31mm
observed dimensions 10mm thick on several catalogue records; 17mm lug width and 27.3g on one LSK example
case shape tonneau / barrel
case construction catalogued as two- or three-body; screw-down back and crown
case materials 9ct gold, 14K yellow gold, 14K pink gold, 18K yellow gold, 18K pink gold
crystal material not established across the cited catalogues
movement manual 10½-ligne movements documented; Aegler Hunter / Cal. 700 is a probable family attribution, not a visible caliber marking
jewels 17 or 18
adjustment variously "timed to 6 positions", "adjusted to seven positions", "adjusted in eight ways"
seconds centre seconds on most catalogued watches; subsidiary seconds on the Observatory example
signature dial two-piece white vitreous enamel, three tracks, fifths-of-a-second outer scale

Where it sits in the line

Antiquorum records several names on ref. 3116, including Royal, Viceroy and Imperial, as well as chronometer-labelled Imperial and Observatory variants.

Ref. 3009 follows the same pattern. Auction catalogues use Chronometre Scientific, Oyster Royal, Observatory, Oyster Chronometer and Speedking Precision. “Scientific” appears on the white enamel dial, but it does not identify a single case material, movement grade or seconds layout.

David Boettcher describes Prima, Extra Prima and Ultra Prima as movement grades separate from calibers. The documented 3009 jewel counts and adjustment descriptions do not map cleanly onto that broader ladder, so the dial wording should not be used to infer a grade.

Rolex Oyster Chronometre Scientific 3009 in 9K gold carrying a Glasgow import hallmark for 1937
Case 37845, the example whose Glasgow import mark for 1937 is the only compulsory-dated anchor in the reference's record.

Production outline

Auction catalogues date individual 3009s from circa 1930 to circa 1944, but those estimates do not form a consistent case-number sequence. Bonhams records a Glasgow import mark for 1937 on case 37845. That dates its assay or import, not the watch’s manufacture. A separate 1947 presentation inscription documents the date of the presentation; Antiquorum’s circa-1959 estimate for that watch remains unresolved.

The observed case numbers include 12818, 37791, 37840, 37845, 39218, 39250, 39251, 46704, 56568 and 474700. The last belongs to the watch Antiquorum dated circa 1959 and titled Oyster Perpetual despite describing manual winding. Its outer caseback has a presentation inscription dated 1947, which also conflicts with the catalogue date. Neither date establishes the production run.

Lacy Scott & Knight sold consecutive cases 39251 and 39250 four weeks apart in 2025. Both are 9ct-gold watches with later monograms. The records suggest a relationship but do not prove shared delivery or continuous paired ownership.

Movement notes

The 3009 catalogues describe 10½-ligne movements but show no Cal. 700 marking. Boettcher identifies the 10½-ligne Aegler Hunter family as Rolex Cal. 700. For ref. 6210, Christie’s calls the Kew A movement Cal. 10.5; Uhrenkosmos calls it Cal. 700. Vetroplastica describes a Cal. 700 base with Cal. 720 parts, while Bonhams says the base was reworked into what Rolex called Cal. 720. These labels refer to the hand-wound Kew A movement; the generic Cal. 720 entry on the Movements page describes the automatic branch. Cal. 700 remains plausible for the 3009 family, but no cited 3009 catalogue identifies its movement by that caliber number.

That base was not exclusive to Rolex. Aegler supplied it to Gruen as the calibres 825, 826 and 827, and Boettcher documents a Gruen 826 with indirect centre seconds. Catalogues record both 17- and 18-jewel movements, with varying adjustment language. No source explains the split, and the records do not map cleanly onto Boettcher's general grade hierarchy. Bridge wording such as “Timed 6 Positions” documents one movement’s marking; it does not date the watch.

Movement of a Rolex 3009 with bridges engraved Timed 6 Positions, 18 Rubies and Patented Superbalance
The 10½-ligne calibre in a 14K case, bridges engraved TIMED 6 POSITIONS and 18 RUBIES over the Patented Superbalance.


Indirect centre seconds

Boettcher describes this Aegler family's centre-seconds option as indirect: an extra wheel on an extended third-wheel arbor drives the centre pinion. This mechanism applies to the centre-seconds 3009 configurations; the subsidiary-seconds Observatory watch uses a different arrangement.

The indirect seconds pinion can flutter because it sits outside the main gear train. A friction spring damps that motion; Jack Forster notes that poor adjustment can add load and reduce balance amplitude.

Dial map

  • Close view of the white vitreous enamel Scientific dial on a Rolex 3009 showing three concentric tracks and a red centre seconds hand
    The Scientific dial at close range, from the 9K gold example sold at Antiquorum Hong Kong, 2019, case 39218: hours on the inner ring, minutes outside them, an outer scale to fifths of a second, and the red centre seconds hand. Hairlines run through the enamel and the word SCIENTIFIC has begun to lose paint.
  • Rolex Oyster Chronometre 3009 in 18K yellow gold with a silvered dial, applied gold Arabic numerals and centre seconds
    The plain silvered configuration in 18K yellow gold, applied gold Arabic numerals and a blued centre seconds hand, catalogued simply as an Oyster Chronomètre.
  • Rolex 3009 in 14K yellow gold with a 24-hour dial carrying inner red numerals 13 to 24
    A 24-hour dial on the same case reference: luminous Arabic hours with the 13 to 24 numerals printed in red inside them, case 46704.
  • Rolex Oyster Royal Observatory 3009 in 9K gold with a champagne dial and subsidiary seconds
    The champagne dial signed ROLEX OYSTER ROYAL over OBSERVATORY, case 37840, here with subsidiary seconds at 6 rather than the centre seconds of the Scientific.
  • Rolex 3009 in 14K yellow gold with a copper-coloured California dial mixing Arabic and Roman numerals
    The California dial, case 12818: painted luminous Arabic and Roman numerals with baton indexes. One documented lot, not a production configuration on this evidence.

Seven dial configurations appear in the auction and photographed record reviewed here.

The white enamel Scientific dial is the most recognizable configuration. Antiquorum’s 2019 Hong Kong catalogue describes inner Arabic numerals, separate hour and minute tracks, and an outer scale marked in fifths of a second. Several catalogues call the dial two-piece. The available descriptions do not establish how its inner disc is mounted.

Other catalogued examples include champagne Oyster Royal/Observatory, restored two-tone silvered centre-seconds, 24-hour, copper-coloured California, silvered baton and silvered sector dials. The California layout is supported by one lot; the records do not establish a factory dial list.


How the enamel dial is made

The dials are vitreous enamel, easily mistaken for porcelain at a glance. Boettcher describes powdered glass fired onto a copper base, with numerals and tracks added in vitreous painting enamel. The fired substrate resists fading, while impacts, flexing and later painted text can still leave visible damage.

Hairline cracks do not prove originality. Boettcher identifies flexing during removal or tightening as common causes, although the photographs cannot establish when each crack occurred. Christie's records five separate cracks on its pink-gold example.

Boettcher separates fired numerals and tracks from names painted onto the finished enamel surface. He treats unnaturally fresh painted wording as a flag for closer inspection; it doesn't by itself confirm the work happened later. Christie's records paint loss on “chronometre” and “scientific,” and Lacy Scott & Knight records red loss from a seconds hand.

Macro of a Rolex 3009 enamel dial showing worn CHRONOMETRE and SCIENTIFIC lettering and hairline cracks
Paint loss in the model wording and hairline cracks through the enamel on the Christie's example

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

  • Inner caseback of a 14K Rolex 3009 stamped Rolex 31 Victoires de Haute Precision with the RWC Ltd sponsor mark and 0.585-14K fineness mark
    Inner caseback of a 14K example: the 31 Victoires legend, the R.W.C. LTD sponsor's mark in its oval, the 0.585-14K fineness mark, and the reference number stamped down the left edge.
  • Inner caseback of an 18K Rolex 3009 showing the coronet, the 0.750-18K fineness mark and the reference number
    The same case in 18K, marked 0.750-18K under the coronet with the reference number below.
  • Rolex Oyster Chronometre Scientific 3009 in 18K pink gold with a white enamel dial
    The 18K pink gold example, catalogued at 33mm and the only one in the record above 31mm.

The catalogued tonneau cases have screw-down backs and crowns. Auction descriptions vary between two- and three-body construction. No steel example appears in the sourced record; documented materials include 9ct, 14K and 18K yellow or pink gold.

Catalogued diameters range from 30 to 33mm and most are 31mm. The records do not establish whether the spread comes from measurement method or a larger case variant.


Bracelets, end links, and clasps

No original-delivery bracelet is established. The Antiquorum Hong Kong example had a GEMEX integrated bracelet; another wore a 9ct Rolex expandable bracelet stamped 4.67, a clasp code that dates only the bracelet. Other examples appear on leather straps.

Dreweatts records the 18ct gold indirect-centre-seconds watch, case 37791, with a Manchester retailer’s presentation box.

Retailer and provenance branches

One pink-gold example sold by Antiquorum in 2006 has a caseback engraving reading “Officers of the 107th Cavalry to Col. Woods King, Nov. 29, 1943.” The engraving documents a presentation; it does not establish military issue.

The Dreweatts 3009 came with a Manchester retailer’s presentation box. The Asprey-retailed Imperial Chronometre Scientific is reference 3116, a separate case reference from the 3009.

Auction record

Fifteen sourced auction appearances across seven houses.

Sale Date Configuration Case Result
Sotheby's, Hong Kong HK0206 27 Apr 2004 pink gold, centre seconds not recorded not sold
Antiquorum, New York 151 7 Dec 2006 pink gold, brown dial, 17j; Woods King presentation not recorded USD 3,776
Bonhams, New York 15422 6 Dec 2007 9ct, restored two-tone silvered, 18j, 30mm not recorded USD 1,080
Antiquorum, Hong Kong 252 25 Jun 2011 9ct, champagne, Oyster Royal / Observatory, 17j 37840 HKD 35,000
Antiquorum, New York 271 10 Apr 2013 14K yellow gold, California dial, 17j 12818 USD 2,500
Dreweatts, Donnington Priory 26 Mar 2015 18ct, enamel, indirect centre seconds, retailer box 37791 est. GBP 4,000–6,000
Heritage, sale 5309 24 Oct 2017 14K pink gold, silvered baton, 17j, Speedking Precision heading 56568 result not published
Christie's, Swiss Icons 8 May 2018 18K pink gold, white enamel, 33mm — est. USD 4,000–6,000
Antiquorum, Hong Kong 28 Apr 2019 9K, white enamel Scientific, 31mm 39218 HKD 42,500
Bonhams, London 25397 19 Sep 2019 9K, enamel, Glasgow import mark 1937 37845 withdrawn
Antiquorum, Hong Kong 351 29 May 2022 18K yellow gold, silvered, centre seconds, catalogued Oyster Perpetual 474700 est. HKD 30,000–40,000
Antiquorum, Hong Kong 361 13 Jun 2023 14K yellow gold, 24-hour dial, centre seconds, catalogued Bubbleback 46704 est. HKD 35,000–50,000
Lacy Scott & Knight 20 May 2025 9ct, white enamel Scientific, 31mm 39251 GBP 5,200
Lacy Scott & Knight 14 Jun 2025 9ct, white enamel Scientific 39250 GBP 4,000
Sotheby’s, Fine Watches 17 Jun 2026 18K pink gold, silvered sector, 18 jewels, titled “Bubbleback Flatback” 278072 result not published

Lacy Scott & Knight sold the consecutive-numbered 9ct enamel examples, cases 39251 and 39250, for GBP 5,200 and GBP 4,000. The auction sample mixes metals and dial condition, so it does not isolate an enamel-dial premium.

Two Lacy Scott & Knight entries describe an “automatic 18-jewel movement,” using the same catalogue paragraph. Indirect centre seconds does not contradict automatic winding, so that line cannot be dismissed on mechanical grounds alone. The wider auction record describes manual movements, including Antiquorum's lots titled Bubbleback and Oyster Perpetual. Without a clear movement identification for the LSK watches, the repeated automatic wording remains an open catalogue discrepancy — neither a confirmed variant nor a disproved claim.

Related references


See also the early Oyster and Bubbleback index, movement reference, bracelet & clasp guide, and serial numbers by year.

  • Rolex Oyster Chronometre Scientific 3009 in 18K pink gold
    Rolex Oyster Chronometre Scientific 3009 in 18K pink gold
  • White enamel Scientific dial, case 39218
    White enamel Scientific dial, case 39218
  • Silvered centre-seconds dial
    Silvered centre-seconds dial
  • 24-hour dial, case 46704
    24-hour dial, case 46704
  • Oyster Royal Observatory dial, case 37840
    Oyster Royal Observatory dial, case 37840
  • California dial, case 12818
    California dial, case 12818
  • Paint loss and hairline cracks in enamel dial
    Paint loss and hairline cracks in enamel dial
  • Movement bridge markings
    Movement bridge markings
  • 14K caseback and sponsor mark
    14K caseback and sponsor mark
  • 18K caseback fineness mark
    18K caseback fineness mark
  • 18K pink-gold case
    18K pink-gold case
  • Case 37845 with Glasgow 1937 import mark
    Case 37845 with Glasgow 1937 import mark

Sources
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